Oysters, when carefully picked, shucked, and served fresh can be a decadent treat. The same is true for a well-made stout. The combination of the two is a celebrated beer style that has taken a backseat in recent years to the sweet-forward stouts.
On the rare occasion when you come across an oyster stout in the wild, it has an almost irresistible pull. The sweet roasty stout mixed with the briney savory taste of the mollusk is a combination that just works. Brewers have known this for a long time and have worked to find the right balance of flavors—not too brackish, but retaining the flavors of the bivalve.
